- Facts
- Science & Education
- 03 June 2022
- Last updated: June 02, 2022
A large proportion of children with a congenital heart defect will sooner or later have to deal with a narrowing in the pulmonary arteries
Treating a narrowing of the pulmonary artery can prevent serious complications in young heart patients. Insight into how the blood flows plays an important role in this, according to research by UMC Utrecht.
A large proportion of children with a congenital heart defect will sooner or later have to deal with a narrowing of the pulmonary arteries. This can be caused by the heart defect itself, but it can also be a result of the heart operations that they often have to undergo at a young age. Due to such a narrowing, the blood does not flow optimally to the lungs and this can lead to fatigue, cardiac arrhythmias and even sudden cardiac death. Treating the narrowing with a stent or surgery can prevent serious complications. But when is the best time to intervene and how can you optimally prepare for surgery and cardiac catheterization? Maartje Conijn discovered that insight into how the blood flows plays an important role in this, and that the best approach must be determined for each patient.
Get in the picture
Obtaining an optimal picture of the anatomy of the heart of patients with a congenital heart defect is essential. “The anatomy is different for every patient, which is why an optimal picture is important in order to arrive at a proper diagnosis and a tailor-made treatment plan,” says Conijn. “At the UMC Utrecht we use various techniques for 3D imaging (including CT, MRI and 3D rotational angiography). By combining 3D imaging with research into how the blood flows in those blood vessels, diagnostics and treatment are improved. That is why we are increasingly focusing on the development of techniques that can make blood flow visible and measurable.” One of these techniques is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). After reconstructing the 3D anatomy of a blood vessel, the blood flow in the vessel can be visualized on the basis of mathematical and physical formulas.
“This technology is an additional tool to answer an essential question,” says Conijn. “How can we help the heart to pump blood as efficiently as possible with as little effort as possible?” The CFD model she has developed can calculate how the blood flows through the narrowed pulmonary artery based on the 3D model of the heart, the weight of the child and the number of heartbeats per minute. The researchers can calculate this for the child at rest, but also during exertion. In the computer model, they also simulate the effect of various treatment options, such as a stent or surgery. They can vary digitally in, for example, the exact location and size of a stent. This provides additional knowledge about the impact of different treatment options. In the future, this will lead to treatments that are even more tailored to the specific patient.
Advantages
For patients with a congenital heart defect, the application of CFD technology has several advantages in the future. Based on the information provided by the simulation model, doctors can consider more thoroughly whether treatment is necessary and, if so, what the best treatment is for the patient. They can also prepare for this treatment even better on the basis of the extra data about how the blood flows through the pulmonary artery. Maartje Conijn: “My involvement in this research is from the development of the workflow to the early preclinical phase in which we investigated blood flow issues in a small group of patients. In the future, clinical research with more patients will be needed. I have full confidence that this technique will be of great added value for patients with congenital heart defects in the future!”
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- Name author and/or edited by: UMC Utrecht
- Photographer or photo agency: : INGImages
- Source for this article: : UMC Utrecht
- What is the URL for this resource?: https://www.umcutrecht.nl/nieuws/bloedstroom-visualiseren-bij-jonge-hartpatienten
- Original title: Visualizing blood flow in young heart patients
- Target audience: Healthcare professionals
- Datum: 2022-06-02